Main Ideas in Paragraphs (Getting the Big Ideas)

Professor Karin S. Alderfer

Click on the button below to start the lesson.

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

Do you know how to find the “big ideas” in paragraphs?

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These are the essential parts in paragraphs.

Topics

Main Ideas

Supporting Details

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3 Tips for Finding the Topic

1. Look for the subject of the first sentence.Subjects are nouns (persons, places, things, or ideas).

2. Look for a word or phrase that is frequently repeated or referred to.

3. Finally, ask: What do ALL the sentences in the paragraph deal with?

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Practice with Finding a Topic

Read to find the topic in this paragraph:Does watching violence on TV make people more

proneto violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has somenegative effects. One study found that heavy TV watchersare more fearful of others. They try to protect themselveswith guns, alarm systems, and security locks on doors. In thesame study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less upset about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. Allof the violence they see on TV makes them less sensitive to the real thing. A recent study also found that TV violenceincreases aggressive behavior in kids and makes them more likely to select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys.

Click the forward button to pick a topic.

Click on the best topic for the previous paragraph.

A. kids

B. TV watching

C. TV violence

D. real-life violence

Return if you need to reread paragraph.

No, kids are only mentioned in the finalsentence. “Kids” is not the topic of the entire paragraph.

Click the back arrow and try again.

The paragraph does mention TV watching, but that is too broad a subject, since TV watchers can see both good and bad or violent programs.

Click on the back arrow and try again.

Right! The topic, TV violence, is mentionedin the first sentence and repeated throughout the paragraph.

Click the forward arrow to see where the topic appears.

No, the entire paragraph is not dealing with“real-life violence”; it is only mentioned in one sentence.

Click the back arrow and try again.

Finding a TopicDoes watching violence on TV make people more prone to

violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has some negative effects. One study found that heavy TV watchers are more fearful of others. They attempt to protect themselves with guns, alarm systems, and security locks on doors. In the same study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less upset about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. All of the violence they see on TV makes them less sensitive to the real thing. A recent study also found that TV violence increases aggressive behavior in kids and makes them more likely to select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys.

Notice that the subject of the 1st sentence is repeated throughout the paragraph, and ALL sentences in the paragraph deal with “TV violence.”

Difficulties in Identifying Topics

Sometimes the topic is not the subject of the first sentence.

Sometimes the topic is not repeated. So, if the first 2 strategies don’t

help, here are steps to take:

Look at the nouns within the paragraph. Ask: What general term includes all or most of them?

The general noun is probably the topic.

Practice—Read this paragraph. 1Police officers complain that they arrest

perpetrators who are soon let out on the street. 2Judges argue that they are bound by laws that force them to free defendants, some of whom may be guilty as charged, on technicalities. 3Government officials worry that they don’t have the funds or space to construct new prisons. 4In addition, many citizens claim that either the police, the judges, or the government—or all of the above—are not doing their jobs. 5Clearly, the way the huge problem of crime is being handled angers and frustrates many segments of our society.

What noun suggests the general idea in the paragraph? Click the forward button to find out!!!

Now look at the paragraph again! 1Police officers complain that they arrest

perpetrators who are soon let out on the street. 2Judges argue that they are bound by laws that force them to free defendants, some of whom may be guilty as charged, on technicalities. 3Government officials worry that they don’t have the funds or space to construct new prisons. 4In addition, many citizens claim that either the police, the judges, or the government—or all of the above—are not doing their jobs. 5Clearly, the way the huge problem of crime is being handled angers and frustrates many segments of our society.

All of these nouns, plus other words like “arrest” and“guilty” suggest that is the overall topic.

CRIME

To Remember the Strategies--Use FiRST

This mnemonic (memory trick) will help you recall the strategies for identifying topics of paragraphs.

F is for subject of the First sentence.R is for a Repeated word or phrase.ST means that all sentences deal with the Same Thing.

Check your memory!

See if you can write from memory the 3 strategies for identifying the topic of a paragraph. Write them on your own paper. Then click on the return button to see if you were correct.

Return

Recognizing a Main Idea

Also called controlling idea, central thought, or gist

Called a thesis when referring to a passage or long selection

May be stated or unstated (implied)

When stated in a sentence (s) by the author, the main idea is expressed in the topic sentence(s).

Stated Main Ideas—Tips for Finding Topic Sentences

The most common place to find the stated main idea (topic sentence) in non-fiction material is in the first sentence of a paragraph.The second most common place for a stated main idea is in the last sentence of a non-fiction paragraph.A topic sentence is a general or summary statement.A brief statement that ends in a plural noun may be used as a topic sentence.

Keep these suggestions in mind.

The topic sentence must include the topic within it.

A topic sentence must NOT include details; it is a general sentence.

A topic sentence may end in a plural noun or contain a plural noun that is a general term for the supporting details.A sentence that is followed by a statement with a contrast term is NOT the topic sentence.

A topic sentence must NOT contain transitions (terms like “for instance,” “second,” “in addition”) which suggest examples.

Which of the following could be good topic sentences? (Click on each of your choices.)

A. Students go to college for many reasons.B. Twenty-five students reported having their boo

ks stolen last semester.C. For smokers and their families, smoking has ma

ny negative health effects.

D. You can protect your home from burglary by takingseveral precautions.

E. The second way to improve your grades is to takeextensive lecture notes.

F. There are several steps you should take before putting your home on the market.

Be sure you find all 4 correct answers before clicking the forward arrow for the next slide.

Yes, this sentence is general and suggests that specific reasons will be given as supporting details.

It ends in the plural noun “reasons.”

Return to

question.

No, this statement is too specific. It mentions a specificnumber of students. It seems to be a detail.

Return to

question.

Yes, this sentence is general and suggests that specific effects of smoking will be given as details to support it.

The sentence ends with a plural noun, “effects.”

Return to question.

Correct! The statement indicates that some specificprecautions against burglars will be listed and discussed as supporting details.

It ends with the plural word “precautions.”

Return to question.

No, this sentence appears to be a specific detail. The word “second” suggests that a first detail has already been given and a third will likely follow it.

You should be careful. The sentence ends in the plural word “notes,” but that is not always proof the sentence is a general one.

Return to

question.

Yes, this statement mentions “steps” and indicates that the paragraph that includes it will provide specific steps for the home seller to take.

This time the plural word “steps” is not at the end of the sentence, but it does point to specific details to follow.Return to

question.

A Topic Sentence May Be Thought of as an “Umbrella” Statement

supporting details

The other sentences are covered or included under theheading of the main idea. Supporting details explain, prove, or give specific information about the main idea.

Main Idea

Sample ParagraphTopic Sentence is Highlighted

1The high cost of college causes many problems for students today. 2For one thing, it keeps some students fromattending college in the first place. 3Also, high tuitions affectthe amount of time available for study. 4Because loans andscholarships are not easy to get, many students have to putin numerous hours at work in order to afford an education.5Finally, those who do manage to get loans know they must begin their careers with large debts.

Read the paragraph carefully. Note the topic. Then ask:How do you know the first sentence is the topic sentence?

How can you recognize a topic sentence in this paragraph?

1The high cost of college causes many problems for students today. 2For one thing, it keeps some students from attending college in the first place. 3Also, high tuitions affect the amount of time available for study. 4Because loans and scholarships are not easy to get, many students have to put in numerous hours at work in order to afford an education. 5Finally, those who do manage to get loans know they must begin their careers with large debts.The first sentence includes the topic, “the high cost of

college.”The first sentence is general; it is an “umbrella statement.”The first sentence contains a plural noun, “problems,” then the other sentences name specific problems. Other sentences in the paragraph use transitions, such as “also” and “finally,” which point to details. They cannot be the topic sentence.

Practice with Finding a Stated Main Idea (Topic Sentence)

Select the topic sentence in this paragraph; click on your choice below.

1Cocaine is considered today to be both a major social and medical problem. 2Just a century ago, however, cocaine was treated as a harmless stimulant and cure-all. 3Scientists, such as Sigmund Freud, freely used cocaine. 4Coca Cola’s original formula actually included three parts coca leaves (the source of cocaine) to one part cola nut. 5Coca Cola was originally advertised as a delicious drink as well as a medicine to “cure all nervous afflictions.” 6It was often prescribed for headaches, depression, and many other ills.

What is the number of the topic sentence ?A. Sentence 1B. Sentence 2C. Sentence 4D. Sentence 5

Incorrect. The topic is “cocaine,” but the first sentence is concerned with how cocaine is viewed today. There are no details to support that cocaine is a major problem today.

Click on the back arrow and try again.

Return to question.

That’s right. The second sentence contrasts with the first, so it does not support the first. All the sentences after sentence 2 give details to prove that cocaine was considered harmless over a century ago. Click the back arrow to reread the paragraph or the forward arrow to continue.Remember this: If the second sentence of a paragraphuses a contrast term, the first sentence is NOT the topicsentence. In other words, the second sentence is showing the author is changing direction.

Incorrect. Sentence 4 is a detail giving the original formula for Coca Cola. It is not the overall idea of the paragraph.

Click the back arrow and try again.

Return to question.

Incorrect. The fifth sentence is giving a specific detail. Ithelps to prove that cocaine was considered to be a cure-allfor many health problems.

Click on the back arrow and try again.

Return to question.

Steps for Recognizing an Implied Main Idea

Read the entire paragraph.Decide what the topic is.Ask: What is the general idea that all the sentences seem to support?Mentally compose a sentence that seems to summarize all that the paragraph has to say about the topic. Then choose the best paraphrase of that sentence.The main idea you choose should

1) be a complete sentence,2) include the topic of the

paragraph, and3) avoid specific details.

Practicing Implied Main Ideas

Read to discover the implied main idea in this paragraph:1College students must attend classes for several hours each

day. 2When in class, they must listen carefully to their professors and take careful notes. 3In addition, students must spend many hours reading difficult textbooks that deal with many varied subjects. 4Furthermore, college students must take a few hours daily to complete homework assignments and to prepare for regular exams. 5Besides all this, they must frequentlydo research papers and write essays.Click on the forward button to select the best statement ofthe implied main idea for this paragraph.

The best statement of the implied main idea for the previous paragraph is:

1. Taking notes is a difficult task for many students.2. College students have to do a lot of homework.3. Tests and research are very important requirements

for college students.4. College students must spend much time doing

everything that is required of them.

Return to reread paragraph, if necessary

Taking notes is only one of many tasks that are mentioned. It is not a general statement. Also,since the topic, “college students,” is not named in the sentence, it cannot be a main idea statement.

Click the return arrow to reread the paragraph.

“Taking notes is a difficult task for many students.”

Incorrect!

Incorrect. This statement does not summarize the paragraph because some of the details included in the paragraph, such as taking notes in classes, is not a part of homework. Click the return arrow to reread the paragraph.

“College students have to do a lot of homework.”

Incorrect. “Tests” and “research” are specific details about what is expected of college students. It is not a general statement of the main idea.

Click on the back arrow to reread the paragraph.

“Tests and research are very important requirements forcollege students.”

Good! This is the best main idea statement. Many time-consuming tasks are mentioned as being requirements for college students: attending classes, taking notes, readingtextbooks, doing homework, studying for exams, writingessays, and doing research. Click on the forward arrow to take a quiz on what you have learned.

“College students must spend much time doing everythingthat is required of them.”

REVIEW QUIZClick on True or False for each statement below:1) True False All sentences in a paragraph

must have something to do with the topic.2) True False Another name for a main idea is

the controlling idea. 3) True False Every paragraph must have a

topic sentence. 4) True False A contrast word in the second

sentence may help the reader in selecting the topic

sentence. 5) True False The main idea of a longer

passage is often called a thesis.

Excellent! Return to complete the quiz.

Return to quiz.

Sorry. Any sentence that doesn’t deal with the topicbelongs in a different paragraph. Return to the quiz to try the other questions.

Return to quiz.

Yes, the main idea can also be called the central thoughtor gist.

Go back to complete the quiz.

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Incorrect. There are several names for the main idea.“Controlling thought” is one of them.

Return to complete the quiz.

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Wrong! If a paragraph has an unstated main idea, it hasno topic sentence.

Click to return to finish the quiz.

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You are absolutely correct!

Go back to complete the quiz.

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Right! If the second sentence uses a contrast term(but, however, although, on the other hand, etc.), itindicates that the author is contradicting, not supporting, what was said in the first sentence. The second sentence may be the topic sentence, but thefirst sentence will not be.

Click the arrow to return to the quiz.

Return to quiz.

Incorrect! If the second sentence contradicts the first,the reader knows that the first sentence is not the topic sentence.

Now go back to complete the quiz.

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Well done! You have another correct response, and youhave completed the quiz.

You have learned much about topics and main ideas. Your new skill will help you learn from your textbooks and pass the State Exit Exam in Reading.

Incorrect. The main idea of an essay or long article is usually called the thesis. You have completed the quiz.

You may wish to return to the quiz to try the questions again.

Return to quiz

After a review of this short quiz, ask the lab assistantfor a copy of the post-test to show what you have learned!

HAPPY READING!!